akprate.blogg.se

Greg Masiello, the Pentagon’s Osprey program manager.

In fiscal 2012, the unit price is $67 million, says U.S. The Pentagon has had a long-term goal of decreasing the unit price to $58 million, but this has been elusive. With the tiltrotor now entering a new multiyear procurement contract, those eager to buy the aircraft are expected to move on the assumption it will deliver the best possible price. The V-22’s unit cost is a major hurdle to securing an export order. Industry officials have, at times, indicated Japan and Norway may be potential buyers as well, but neither of those prospects has firmed up. has also been eyed as a potential customer, although the country’s financial problems effectively rule out any near-term purchase. Pentagon officials continue to pressure the companies to reduce the aircraft’s cost, but they are also cutting the U.S. Adding a new customer to the roster would be a boon for the team at a tough time for the program. To help cement interest, the MV-22 made its Dubai air show debut in November 2011. Interest in the system was reinforced during last year’s NATO operations in Libya, in part because an MV-22 was used to rescue one of two downed U.S. An agreement could be signed by year’s end, they add. The UAE is eyeing use of the Osprey to support its special operations forces, industry officials indicate. Next year, AFSOC will also be the first to stand up an overseas V-22 base, when CV-22s will be based at RAF Mildenhall, U.K. What is more, Masiello says the high altitude capability allowed the CV-22 to fly over extremely bad weather that persisted at lower altitudes and made a rescue using a helicopter impossible.ĪFSOC currently still sustains a CV-22 deployment to Afghanistan. and thereby fly over the Hindu Kush mountain range. One reason the CV-22 was used for the mission was its ability to fly above 15,000 ft. The CV-22 was based in Kandahar and flew 800 naut. Greg Masiello, the V-22 Joint Program Manager. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), not as publicity hungry or savy, has quietly carried out a far more significant search and rescue mission using its tiltrotor.Īlmost exactly a year ago, a CV-22 operating out of Kandahar rescued 32 personnel stranded in difficult conditions in northeastern Afghanistan, according to USMC Col.

Marine Corps has gotten a lot of attention for its MV-22 mission, this year, to rescue one of two downed F-15 pilots when the fighter went down in Libya owing to mechanical problems.īut the U.S.